Sterilizing liquids



Patented Oct. 29,1935

: UNITED" STATES,

PATENT- OFFICE signor to Katadyn, Inc., Dover, DeL,

poration of Delaware No Drawing. Application October 11, 1930, Serial No. 48 8,190. In Germany October 12,-

7Claims. (0199-15) ing liquids.

Processes in which liquids are sterilized with i the aid of gases having a sterilizing action, particularly with chlorine and ozone, have been known for along time. When employing the correct amounts and maintaining definite conditions, the results are satisfactory, especially with respect to the shortness of the period necessary for sterilization. However these processes have definite inherent defects; thus the gases must be added to the liquid in accurately proportioned quantities, for which purpose analyses are often necessary. It is also necessary in order to obtain a satisfactory result, to employ a small excess of the gases over and above that required by the analysis. Thus chlorine is employed inamounts up to 0.3 gram per cubic metre and ozone in amounts up to 5 grams per cubic metre. Too great an excess of chlorine must be avoided, as the water would otherwise possess a definite flavour of chlorine andvwould become unpalatable. An excess of ozone is not so objectionable in this respect but makes the sterilization more expensive since the sterilization by ozone is in itself so dear thatit can scarcely compete with, the chlorine process, so that unnecessary consumption of ozone must be avoided solely for economic reasons. A recent chlorination process, the Adler maximum chlorination process, employs additions of chlorine up to 5 grams per cubic metre, but this large excess of chlorine is again extracted in any case by means of active carbon. In

this case there is in the first case a useless consumption of chlorine and. in the second case the danger exists that should the active carbon fail to act, objectionably large quantities of chlorine would gain access to the pure water.

The oligodynamic sterilization of liquids with the aid of difiicultly soluble or insoluble metals and metallic salts is also known on the other hand. This process has the great advantage that scarcely any or only imperceptible amounts of foreign substances are added to the liquid and that no mechanical or operative attendance is necessary, since any proportioning or measuring apparatus is dispensed with. A certain drawback of this process consists in the necessity for leaving the liquid to be sterilized for a prolonged period in contact with the efiective surfaces, or at least to give the liquid after it has passed over the said surfaces a definite after-sterilization period before his ready for use, since the oligodynamic sterilizing eiIect is in no way instantaneous.

It has now been found in accordance with the present invention that both of the hereinbefore described types of processes can be combined to form a novel and useful sterilization process which does not exhibit the drawbacks of the 5 individual processes. :I'hus for example it is possible to incorporate with the liquid to be sterilized, which requires in the ordinary way up to 0.2 gram per cubic metre of chlorine (determined analytically), only'a fraction of this quantity of chlorine, for example, only 0.04 gram, by passing said liquid in addition over surfaces possessing oligodynamicaction, for example by passing it over silver or copper filling bodies, and taking precautions to ensure a sufilcient period 15 of contact sterilization, or of after sterilization. In this manner the danger of an excess of chlorine is avoided with certainty, inasmuch as very much less chlorine has been added than can be consumed by the oxidizable substances as a 20 whole, whilst the deficiency in sterilizing power has been replaced by oligodynamic treatment. On the other hand when working according to the present process it is not necessaryto-use such long contact or after sterilization periods 25 as when the liquid is to be sterilized only with the aid of the oligodynamic process, that is to say, without the aid of chlorine or ozone.

It has been shown to be of particular advantage to mix the liquid or "portion of same first 30 with the sterilizing gas and then to pass it over the oligodynamic substance. In this case the sterilizing gas has a two-fold eifect; in the first place it immediately attacks easily oxidizable substances and the less resistant micro-organ- 35 isms in the liquid, and in the second place, it acts as an exciter for the oligcdynamic process, so that the latter is effective in a much shorter period than is usual. This fact can be explained without going into the correctness of any theot0 retical considerations, by the assumption that the oligodynamic action is based upon the splitting oil of metal ions from the active surfaces. This splitting off of metal ions is then naturally accelerated by the presence of oxidizing gases 45 such as chlorineor ozone.

The nature of the apparatus or system em ployed for incorporating the sterilizing gas with the liquid is immaterial for the purpose of the present invention. As is known hitherto usually 50 only a portion of thestream of liquid was treated with the gas. Thus for example, a solution of chlorine water wasproduced which was then mixed with the main stream. Accordingto the new proposals, the gaseous chlorine is allowed 56 to escape in the form of iine bubbles directly'in the main stream. It is also immaterial for the purpose of the present invention how the oligodynamic apparatus is set up. Also in this case either a portion or the main stream of the liquid can be passed over the oligodynamic substance and the containers containing the active substance can be shaped, arranged or filled in any desired manner.

I claim:

1. A process for sterilizing water, which comprises treating the water with an amount 01' chlorine not exceeding substantially 0.04 gram per cubic meter, and contacting the water with an oligodvnamic substance, said chlorine and oligodynamic substance reacting.

2. A process for sterilizing water, which comprises treating the water with an amount of chlorine approximately one-111th of that ordinarily required for sterilizing purposes, and subsequently contacting the chlorinated water with an oligodynamic substance to bring about a reaction of the chlorine and oligcdynamic substance, and a complete sterilization-oi. the water.

3. A process for sterilizing water, which comprises contacting the water with an oxidizing gas in amounts less than that ordinarily required for sterilizing purposes, and subsequently contacting the water with an oligodynamic substance causing an oxidation of the oligodynamic substance and a further sterilization oi the water.

4. A process for sterilizing liquids which comwith a sterilizing an aim the secondary mt: subsequently contacting said partially sterilized liquids with an oligodynamically activesubstance and finally submitting said liquid to a rest period before use whereby the oligodynamic substance may become eflective, said sterilizing gas acting as a rapid destroyer of bacteria, and said oligo-i.

dynamic substance giving a permanent bacter ,cid-al power.

5. A process for sterilizing liquids which comprises the primary step of contacting the liquids with a sterilizing gas and the secondary step of contacting the partially sterilized liquids with an oiigodynamically active substance, said oligodynamic substance having a complementary and 5 permanent bactericidal eilect. p

6. A process for sterilizing liquids which comprises the primary step oi contacting the liquids with a sterilizing gas of the oxidizing type and.

subsequently contacting said partially sterilized liquids with an oligodynamically active substance, said oligodynamically active substance revacting with the oxidizing gas to remove surplus and detrimental quantities thereof.

7. A process for sterilizing liquids which comprises the step of contacting the liquid with chlorine to give a bactericidal eil'ect and to remove putriflcation and subsequently contacting said chlorinated liquid with silver in oligodynamic concentration to further destroy bacteria without '0 deteriorating the liquid as to taste or flavor.

ozone ALEXANDER KRAU/SE. 

